Automatic gate.



Patantodflbt. 30, I900.

No. 660,69l.

G. E. RIGG.

AUTOMATIC GATE.'

(Applicltion filed Sept. 25, 1899.)

Y 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

g r: w x

6 No. 666,69l. Pa fented 061. 30, I900.

AUTOMATICGATE.

(Application filed Sept. 26, 1899.)

(No Model.)

2 Shanta-Shoat 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. RIGG, OF MOUNT CARMEL, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC GATE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 660,691, dated October 30, 1900. Application filed September 25, 1899. Serial No. 731,512. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. RIGG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Carmel, in the county of Wabash and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in automatic gates, and has for one object to provide an exceedingly simple and efiective construction whereby the gate will be securely heldclosed and yet may be readily opened by the manipulation of a wire or rope at a distance therefrom and when so opened will be held until the wire or rope is again manipulated to close the same.

A further object of my invention-is to provide an automatic latch which will accommodate itself to the sagging of the gate within certain limits; and a still further object of my invention is to provide means connected with the mechanism for opening and closing the gate to operate the latch.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the. artto which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of a gate made in accordance with my invention, showing the same closed; Fig. 2, a plan view of the gate in its open position Fig. 3, an enlarged perspective of the gate and post, fully illustrat-.

ing the construction of the latch and the mechanism for opening the same; and Fig. 4, a detailed section showing the arrangement of the latch-ring.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied, A and B represent the rear posts, to which the gate ishinged, and these posts are set at an angle to each other relative to the length of the roadway in order that the gate may be free to swing through approximately ninety degrees, as hereinafter set forth.

A base-block O is secured to the posts A and B, and upon this block is hinged the gate D in any convenient manneras, for instance, by a pin or bolt projecting upward from the block, or vice versa. The gate may be composed, as usual, of horizontal strips connected with vertical end strips and suitable brace-strips. A cap E is secured upon the top of the posts, and a stud F projects upward therefrom, to which is pivoted the double stay-wire G by being looped in a staple, ring, or otherwise, and the lower ends of this wire may terminate. in books or links H, so that the position of the gate may be adjusted by taking up one or more links, and this will provide for the overcoming of any sagging which may take place in the gate by use. The double stay-wire G, being attached to the outer portion of the gate and pivoted to the stud F, forms the upper hinge of the gate, so that in swinging the gate turns upon the block 0 and the pivot-point of the wire, as will be readily understood.

I is an operating-lever which is pivoted to the rear of the stud F, so as to swing in the direction of the length of the road, or crosswise of the closed position of the gate, and this lever has attached thereto the wires or ropes J and K, the former passing over the pulley L, while the latter passes over the pulley. M, the pulleys being journaled in the overhanging uprights N and 0, respectively.

A weight P is attached to the free end of the rope J, while the corresponding weight Q is attached to the free end of the rope K. The object of this arrangement is to permit the manipulation of the lever I by the driver of a team before reaching the gate, as will be hereinafter set forth.

R is a short board secured to the rear of the post A and to the cap E, and it has secured thereto the horizontal board S, upon which is pivoted at T the bell-crank lever II. This last-named lever is loosely attached to the operating-lever I by the link or wire loop V, so that when said operating-lever is swung to and fro the bell-crank lever will also be swung upon its pivot-point.

ber of the bell-crank lever has attached thereto the wire W, the opposite end of said wire being attached to the angle-lever X. The short member of the bell-crank lever is connected by the link Y to the lever Z, the latter being also pivoted at a to the board S. A

The long memwire I) connects the outer end of this lastnamed lever with the angle-lever X, as clearly shown. The result of this last-described construction is that when the operating-lever is swung in the direction indicated by the arrow the wire W will be slackened by theinward movement of the long member of the bell-crank lever, while the wire I) will be drawn upon by the lever Z, and this, as is obvious, will draw the gate sidewise or in the direction to open the same; but when the operating-lever is swung in the reverse direction the wire W will be drawn taut, while the wire b is slackened, and this will again tend to draw the gate to its closed position, as will be readily understood. The angle-leverX is pivoted at d and thereafter is first swung upward by drawing taut either of the wires W or 1) before the gate is swung open or closed, and this is utilized for the unlatching of the gate in order that it may be swung open or and lower portion of the latch-post f, and a ring 9 is secured within the slot of each of these blocks by means of a pin h, and while this pin prevents the ring from falling from the slot it still leaves said ring free to move in all directions, and said ring is only limited in its movements by the shoulder 1;, against which it abuts when the gate is latched, as will hereinafter appear.

j represents a slotted extension of sufficient width to receive the diameter of the ring, so that when the gate is swung closed each of these extensions passes under its corresponding ring, forcing the latter inward by causing it to work upon its pin until the slot in the extension registers with the ring, when the latter will drop down within said slot and, as is obvious,latch the gate against being opened, since the rings cannot be swung outward by reason of their contact with the shoulders 'i.

To unlatch the gate, it is necessary to first elevate the rings, so as to permit the extensionsj to pass beneath the same, and this is accomplished by meansof the arms is, which project from the bar Z, which bar is suspended from the angle-lever X by the link m. Thus when the angle-lever is drawn upon and caused to swing upward the bar Z will also be drawn upward, and this upward movement will cause the arms is to elevate the rings to such an extent as to permit the extensions j to pass beneath the rings, thus freeing the gate and permitting it to swing open by the continued drawing therein of the wire I), and the downward movement of the angle-lever is limited by a suitable cleat. A stop-post'n is set to one side of the road in such a position that when the gate is swung at right angles to its open position it will abut against this post, and in order that the gate may be held in this open position a slotted block 19 projects from this post and is provided with aring q in the same manner as that described in connection with the blocks e and rings g,

so that when the upper extension j passes mi der this block 1'9 the ring will drop into the slot of this extension and hold the gate open. The closing of the gate will be accomplished by the reverse movement of the lever I, which will draw upon the wire W, first elevating the bar Z to disengage the ring g from the upper extension, and thereafter the continued draft upon the wire W will pull the gate closed,.it being noted that both in the opening and closing of the gate the wire which is then drawn up will remain taut until the gate is about three quarters opened or closed, when this wire will become slack and the rest of the movement of the gate continued by reason of its momentum. When the gate is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, and a team approaches from the direction of the post 0, the

pulling down upon the wire K will operate of the wires J and K will bring about the closing of the gate.

While I prefer to use rings, as here shown, it is obvious that disks might be used for the same purpose and with substantially the same results.

It is to be noted that when the gate is about three-quarters open the pull on the lever I may be removed when the tight wire ,on one side the gate becomes loose, and this allows the lever X to drop down, thus permitting the rings to engage the extensions and fasten the gate either open or closed.

In practice it has been demonstrated that my improved gate may be opened against considerable wind or other resistance and yet when closed cannot be opened by horses, cattle, or other animals, and this is an important feature in gates of this description.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is- 1. A suitable hinge-post, a gate the lower end of which is hinged to said post, a stud projecting from the post, a wire attached to the forward portion of the gate and pivoted to the stud so as to form the top hinge of the gate, an operating-lever pivoted to the stud, a bell-crank lever pivoted to the post and loosely attached to the operating-lever, a wire attached to the long member of the bellcrank lever and to the forward end of the gate, a lever Z also pivoted to the post, a wire connecting the last-named. lever with the forward end of the gate, and a link connecting the short member of the bell-crank lever with the lever Z whereby the manipulation of the operating-lever will open or close the gate through the medium of the wires, as specified.

2. In combination, a gate, a double hingepost to which the lower end of the gate is hinged, a cap secured to the top of the double post, a stud projecting from the cap, a wire Gpivoted to the stud and attached to the front portion of the gate so as to serve as the top hinge, an angle-lever pivoted to the forward end of the gate, means connected with the last-named lever for operating the latch mechanism of the gate, two wires attached to thdangle-lever, and mechanism to which the last-named wires are attached adapted to oper'ate the angle-lever and swing the gate open or closed, as specified.

3. In combination with a gate of the character described, a latch mechanism consisting of a slotted block projecting from the latchpost, a ring held within the slot of the block by a pin, a slotted extension carried by the gate adapted to receive the ring, a latch-bar, an arm projecting from said bar and adapted to elevate the ring to unlatch the gate, an angle-lever from which said bar is suspended whereby the bar may be conveniently operated, two wires attached to the angle-lever, mechanism to which said last-named wires are attached, a lever for actuating the said mechanism, and wires or ropes secured to the end of the lever, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a gate of the character described, a latch-post, slotted blocks projecting therefrom, rings confined within said slots but having a free swinging movement, slotted extensions formed upon the gate and arranged to pass just beneath the blocks when the gate is closed, whereby the rings may be dropped within the slots of said extensions and latch the gate, avertical latchbar, short arms carried thereby, an angle-1ever to which the bar is connected, levers on the hinge-posts, wires connecting the levers and angle-lever on opposite sides of the gate, and mechanism for operating the levers on the hinge-posts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto af' fixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. RIGG. Witnesses:

GEo. T. MARX, O. C. STRAssER. 

